French; and this so pleased her that she composed a tragicomic translation of nearly the whole of the New Testament, and had it acted in the great hall before the King, her husband. For the purpose she secured the best comedians that could be procured from Italy; and as these buffoons are born only to afford amusement, and, monkey-like, to mimic what may meet the humours of their masters, so these people, recognizing the inclination of the Queen, interlarded the text of these plays with roundelays and virolais on the theme of the clergy. Always some poor monk or religieuse was made the butt in one of these comedies or farces."
Florimond de Rémond goes on to say that some of the preachers harboured by Marguerite were not of high character. Among them was Solon, a runaway Carmelite, a "brave et courageux moine," who embraced the doctrines of Calvin, and to make up for wasted opportunities in the past married and buried five wives in succession.
Some of the sacred pieces enacted before the King and Queen were the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Flight into Egypt; and into these plays scurrilous and indecent songs were introduced, without a word of protest from the preachers.
Marguerite took as her valet Clement Marot, who had not the best of characters, and scandal said that she liked him a little too well.
Unsuspectingly Marot did a great work for Calvinism in France.
He had translated the Psalms of David into popular rhythm. His metrical version became the rallying songs of the Huguenots, and formed the basis of their liturgy. They were set to popular folk-airs.
The French ladies, as he said himself, placed
leurs doigts sur les espinettes
pour dire saintes chansonettes.
